Things get so bad in the Live Music Capital of the World that they're citing the 'King of Sixth Street,' Gerry Van King, for busking on the street

Music ColumnNovember 22, 2002, by Ken Lieck

"...Well, the cover album road continues to get more traveled. Former Geraldine Fibber, forever rocker grrrl Carla Bozulich put a call into the Chronicle to report that her version of Willie Nelson's RedHeadedStranger was done, special guest and all, and looking for a label..."

An overview of the Texas Film Commission, which has been wedding film production and the state economy for 30 years.

Screens StoryJune 15, 2001, by Marc Savlov

"...In 1986, screenwriter Bill Wittliff shot the Willie Nelson vehicle RedHeadedStranger with a predominantly Austin-based crew, but it was a couple of little pictures that came in under the radar that really shook things up and set the capital city on the path to cinematic righteousness. One of them was 1988's The Lone Star Kid ("No one's ever heard of this film," admits Copeland), directed by Happy Days alumnus Anson Williams, who -- post-Potsie -- had previously shot some movies-of-the-week in Dallas with director Ron Howard...."

"...Willie NelsonTo Lefty From Willie (Columbia/Legacy)Willie NelsonWillie & Family Live (Columbia/Legacy)Willie NelsonHoneysuckle Rose (Columbia/Legacy)Willie Nelson & Ray priceSan Antonio Rose (Columbia/Legacy) Ready for even more Willie? These four LPs from the late Seventies and 1980 simultaneously capture Nelson at his most humble and most Hollywood. After RedHeadedStranger and Stardust, the Bearded One was as much an acolyte of the old masters as ever, but now also a multiplatinum-selling superstar with the commercial clout to do whatever he pleased..."

"...In the off chance that a music industry insider like yourself hasn't witnessed the octogenarian's nasally tenor and squirrelly nylon-string guitar runs, tonight's your night. The RedHeadedStranger and his Family Band headline the annual Heartbreaker Banquet on Nelson's Luck Ranch..."

"..."I don't know who you are, or what your magazine is, but I do know that Jerry Wexler employs me on behalf of Atlantic to cover recording sessions here and that he personally invited me today to shoot this for the media. I'm trying to make a living, I have a relationship with this company, and I don't appreciate strangers being invited to compete with me..."

A prostitute-turned-pop-star exposes her Austin roots; Voxtrot readies for round two; and Rock City Icehouse goes to 11

Music ColumnMarch 28, 2008, by Austin Powell

"...She was somewhat courageous, too." While Girls Gone Wild has uncovered more than seven hours of footage of Dupré after being tipped off to her appearance in a 2003 spring break production, Newman is still scanning his archives for salvageable remnants of the recordings. In the weeklong session, the two co-wrote a few songs, while Dupré laid down three of Newman's originals, including the oddly appropriate ballad, "Hello Stranger" (sample lyric: "Hello stranger, stranger in the dark..."

"...With a notable aside to turn-of-the-century film pioneers the Tilley brothers (turn of the 20th century, that is), Macor kicks off with Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (see excerpt "The Last Supper") and winds down with Spy Kids, all the while folding in defining events and institutions, such as the Austin Film Society's sometimes stutter-stepping transformation. (Chapter 3, "Made in Austin," covers Bill Wittliff's Western RedHeadedStranger and the founding of The Austin Chronicle; on the subject of sharing space with Willie Nelson, you'll hear no complaints from us.) Macor landed interviews with major filmmakers, including the usual suspects (Mike Judge, Quentin Tarantino, Richard Linklater) and the not-so-usual suspects (George Lucas)..."

"...Their playing together dates back to their earliest childhood, the siblings' lives as conjoined musically as by their bloodlines. The ring she wears, commissioned by Willie after the release of 1975's RedHeadedStranger, represents more than their success..."

"...Waylon Jennings Hoot Night Hole in the Wall, April 24 Carla Bozulich & Friends perform Willie Nelson's RedHeadedStranger Emo's, April 26 Waylon Jennings is gone now, but he will be forever etched into the public consciousness as fellow outlaw and duet partner to Willie Nelson. In that sense, it's fitting these two shows went down within a couple of days of each other..."

"...Meanwhile Wittliff, who had gained attention and sold options based on earlier works, made a stunning debut with Black Stallion, the evocative Francis Ford Coppola-produced gem that showcased Wittliff's amazing gift for portraying human adventures in mythic landscapes. So many of the films that helped put Austin on the map -- Barbarosa, RedHeadedStranger, Raggedy Man, and the monumental miniseries Lonesome Dove -- were written by Bill Wittliff..."

"...When the legendary record shop closed in 2003, new tenant Baja Fresh planned to demolish the beloved Hi, How Are You mural, but public outcry saved the day. Today, Jeremiah decorates everything from coffee cups to onesies, arguably outpacing Johnston's music in recognizability. – Greg Beets
Willie NelsonRed HeadedStranger (1975)..."

Getty gets in trouble in the produce section, and it has nothing to do with a cucumber.

DAILY The Gay PlaceMarch 11, 2007, by Kate Getty

"...I was becoming heated: Italian, fiery, angry, telling Dick, hey, go to hell, we weren't bothering anybody in the produce section, nobody cared but him, and just because his acorn-squash-sized mind couldn't wrap around the idea of two women being together didn't mean the rest of Austin was as ignorant.
Just then: proof! Poof! The universe smiled and sent a shaven-headedstranger (he was taller than Richard, and I remember thinking, "Good, he's taller. Stronger, too..."

"...Thousands of young hipsters, old hippies, and locals with braids beneath bandannas gathered on the grass (see "ACL Fest Weekend Two Live Shots"). Many were Willie virgins; others were no stranger to the RedHeadedStranger..."

Mourning the loss of two Austin music giants, Stephen Bruton and Randall 'Poodie' Locke

Music ColumnMay 15, 2009, by Austin Powell

"..."Stephen was my oldest and dearest friend," Burnett said in a statement earlier this week. "We started playing music together almost 50 years ago – the first song we played was 'Hello Stranger' by the Carter Family – and so much of what I know about music came from those early days with Stephen and his family at Record Town in Fort Worth, Texas...."

"...Jerry Wexler, Atlantic Records man and stone soul brother, was sent a copy of Los Lonely Boys, told only, "Willie Nelson's taken these boys under his golf swing." Wexler, who signed the RedHeadedStranger to Atlantic and produced the ultimate "Bloody Mary Morning" in '74's Phases and Stages, was intrigued...."

"...The redheadedstranger rolls the hits every year at the Moody, and the vibe is always unbeatable. It’s like being in a room with the Dalai Lama, except Gyatso’s stoned and noodling on an old guitar..."